Tunneling equipment



' April 18, 1933.

D. LACAPRARA ET AL TUNNELI NG EQUI PMEN T Filed Deo. 25, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY.

lApril 1s, 1933.

D. LACAPRARA E'l AL TUNNELING EQUIPMENT Filed Dec. 25, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet I N VEN TORS TTORNEY.

Patented pr'. 18, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE f DoNA'ro LACAPRANA, or .nnAnBonN AND KARL n.

v MICHIGAN KETCHUM, YF DETROIT,

j TUNNELING EQUIPMENT .Application filed December 23, 1931. Serial No. 582,682.

able as the bricking or concrete pouring pro- K 4ceeds. In long tunnels the cost of the labor 175 and material involved in buildingthe lining is considerable andv theV material becomes atotal loss. Y, Y Y vIt is an object of this invention to provide tunneling equipmentV comprising a lining consisting of a plurality of supporting members which are securely held at all times,.in

combination with means Vfor advancing these supporting members from time to time longitudinally of the tunnel. The sup-porting members are so arranged that men working beneath them are effectually protected against Y cave-ins, and'sincethese 'members are movable longitudinally ofthe tunnel they are i used lagain Vand-:again and eliminate the '30' necessity for building lining, thereby saving considerable labor fand the loss offa great deal of material. i

Another object of the invention is to -pro- Y A vide a tunneling equipmen-tconsisting in part 351of a liningvcomprising a plurality o f supf porting members the lateral marginsV of which engage the adjacent margins of other like members so that each member Vmay be independently moved longitudinally of the 40 tunnel. l. v

A.v further object -ofV the invention` is to provide a tunneling equipment consisting of asimple form'of standard adapted to beV rigidly held adjacent the inner extremity of the last completed tunnelportion, and to provide power exerting means on said standardV by which pressure, is exerted against inward Y projections carrying by the supporting members so that the latter may be moved longi.lr v n vporting members 5,)extends around the top 10(Y tudinally in advancefof the actualftunnel building, and in doing so accomplish a portion of the digging with rapidity and at aV relatively low cost.

Yet another object'of the invention is toV provide such an equipment wherein digging shoes are provided on the forward extremities of the supporting members; and wherein these shoes are so mounted that theymay` be adjusted at varying angles; as it is found that adjustment of the shoes must be made to suit the soil in which the work is being performed to insure their biting into the ground and retaining the forward extremities Vof their members in substantial alignment with the axis of the tunnel'pwhile theyare beinge forced forward. p

With these and other vobjects and advanfV tages'in view which will become apparent as the specification proceeds, apreferredV em- A bodiment of the invention is hereinafter more 7o fully described with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l illustrates Ya sectional view of a portion of av tunnel wherein the equipment is being employed. p

Figure 2 is a front view of the equipment.

YFigure 3 showsa portion of the rear of the standard, and

Figure 4 isanenlarged View of one of the Vdigging shoesl andthe means foradjusting sd' its angularity. f

' v'Referring to the drawings, A designates one end of a completed tunnel portion, and

B denotes earth some of which has been ex-V cavated for a continuationof the tunnel 85 structure. A'standard l is arranged adja- V cent the inner side of the last completed tunnel portion A; this standard, whichis preferably vertically disposed, has nuts 2 adjacent its opposite extremities in threaded en-` 9a Ygagement with which are screws 3.

l On the outer ends of the latter, rests 4 are provided` which, Vin the present instance, are tightened against opposedj portions of the inner vface of the tunnel structurepAqthough the st'andh-y 9'5."

ard mayrbeplaced beyond, instead of within,r the outer extremity ,of lthe tunnelstructure when desired. j y

A'lining, comprising a plurality of sup-v` and sides of the excavation, partly encircling the tunnel section A, and projects forwardly thereof. The lateral margins 5a of these supporting members are so formed as to ene gage each other so that each member is permitted independent longitudinal movement. It will be noted that in the present instance the members 5 consist of lengths of conventional sheet piling though obviously any sheet with its lateral margins so flexed as to engage one another may be employed. Substantially centrally of each member 5 adjacent its forward extremity is an inward projection 6, which, in the present instance, consists of a plate of I-beam section, and transversely of the forward extremity of each member is a digging shoe 7.

I-Iere it may be noted that the supporting members 5 are of suflicient length to extend va short distance rearwardly along the outer face of the last completed tunnel portion, along, and constitute the outer form of, the tunnel portion next to be completed, and also to project forwardly therebeyond.

A shaft 8 is journalled in the standard 1 and extends horizontally and substantially centrally therethrough. On one extremity of the shaft 8 a. worm wheel 9 is provided and on its other extremity a boss 10a is rotatably mounted. The latter is integral with a radial guide 10 which in the present instance is of channel section. Rotatably supported by the standard 1 at right angles to the shaft 8 is a spindle 11 having a worm 12 thereon which cooperates with the worm- `wheel 9, and on the said spindle is a crank 13, so that when the latter is turned the Worm wheel 9 and shaft 8 are rotated thereby turning the guide 10.

14 denotes a slide carried by the guide 10, said slide being preferably of channel section. Longitudinal adjustment of the slide is permitted by loosening bolts 15 which extend through openings in the said guide and Lalso through slots 17 formed longitudinally in the said slide. 18 denotes a power jack having supporting clips 19 and 20 around opposite extremities of its body. The clip 19 is secured to the outer extremity of the slide 14, and the clip 20 to diagonal braces Q1 the opposite extremities of which are pivoted on lugs 14a integral with the slide 14.

The base of the jack 18 is placed against the front of the last completed tunnel portion A, and the crank 13 is turned until the ber successively as far as one forward stroke of the jack plunger 18a will take it.

In the construction shown a hydraulic pumping unit 22 of any conventional design is provided on a truck 23 so as to be readily transportable through the tunnel. A bracket 24 mounted on the truck may be employed for supporting the standard 1 when the screws 3 are so positioned that the feet 4 are not otherwise supported. The jack 18 is preferably double acting, and 25 and QG denote fiexible hose connecting the pump unit with opposite ends of the ack.

The digging shoes 7 which are provided transversely of the forward extremities of the supporting members 5 are so mounted that they may be inclined somewhat to the direction of the said members. This adjustment is desirable as best results are obtained by inclining the shoes according to the soil in which the work is being done. In the present instance this adjustment is made in the following manner: The inner sides of the shoes are apertured for the passage of screws 30 and 3l. The screws 30 are in threaded engagement with the sides of the shoe apertures through which they pass and their outer extremities bear against the members 5, and the screws 31 are in threaded engagement with threaded apertures formed through the said members 5. By adjusting these screws it will be seen that the inclination of the shoes relative to their supporting members may be varied.

A sufficient number of supporting members 5 are employed to encircle the upper portion of the tunnel and to extend as far around the sides as may be deemed advisable. These members are all of substantially equal length. This length must be suflicient to extend rearwardly far enough along the last completed tunnel section to support the members coaxially with the tunnel bore; their intermediate portions must extend along the tunnel portion next to be constructed, and forwardly therefrom they must project sufficiently for the jack 18 to be inserted between the front extremity of the said next tunnel portionwhen built-and the inward projections 6. In most soils it is found that as the members 5 are advanced by the jack 18 the digging shoes will do a large proportion of the excavating. In the construction shown the clips 19 and f2() are connected to the slide 14 and braces 21 by pins 33 and 34 which are readily removable, so that, when desired, the jack 18 may be easily detached.

42 denotes a curved bracing member by which the forward extremities of the supporting members 5 are reinforced to prevent them from being inwardly flexed by the pressure of earth exerted on them. This bracing member is preferably of channel section the flanges of which extendA inwardly and are clear of the jack 18 which must be free to move about the axis of the shaft 8.

While in the foregoing the preferred construction of the invention has been described and shown it is understood that alterations,v

ber may beindependently moved in a longitudinal direction, inward projections on said' members, a standard, a jack, means on said standard for supporting said jack so thatthe latter may be correctly positioned to exert Vpressure against any one of said projections and move its member longitudinally, and an arched bracing member arranged transversely of said members which supports their interengaging margins and holds said members in their desired relative positions against the top and sides of an excavation without interfering Y with the longitudinal movement of said members.

' DONATO LACAPRARA.

KARL E. KETCHUM. j

opposite each of said projections in turn to y force it and its Lsupporting member in a longitudinal direction.

2. An equipment of the character described comprising a tunnel lining consisting of a plurality of flat supporting members laidside by side, the longitudinal margins of said members having interengaging portions thereon which engage the adjacent margins of the members next to them and permit the separate members to be-inclined at varying angles Y to one another and also permit independent longitudinal movement of each member severally, an inward projection on each member,

a standard, a jack, and supporting means for said jack so arranged on said standard that the jack may be positioned in front of any one of said projections to move the member longitudinally to which said projection is attached.

3. An equipment of the character described comprising a tunnel lining consisting of a plurality of longitudinally arranged sup` porting members, interengaging margins formed longitudinally of said members which engage the adjacent margins of the members which lie' next to them, a `curved bracing member adapted to bear against the inner sides of all saidV members land hold them so that they together retain the desired form against the top and sides of an excavation, inward projections on said members, a standard,1a

jack, and mounting means on said standard for supporting said j ack so that the latter may be positioned vopposite any one of said proit is attached in a longitudinal direction.

4. An equipment of the character described i comprising a tunnel lining consisting of a plurality of flat supporting members adapted to lie against the top andfsides of an excavation, interengaging Y portions .formed along the longitudinal margins of said:l members which project laterally from said members, said portions being so arranged that each member may be disposed at varying angles to themembers contiguous to it and so that any one mem- Vjections to force it and the member tovvhich' f IL10k 

